Northern State’s Hesta Prynn to Release Solo Material

By Mikela Floyd on January 11, 2010

New York's Hesta Prynn’s new music has a throwback feel- an intersection of glam and street born of the bowels of Manhattan. Formerly MC Hesta Prynn of the Columbia Records band Northern State, Prynn's newest album will be produced by Sara Quin, of Canadian twin duo Tegan and Sara. Hesta has an army of talent around her, including Tim Harrington of Les Savy Fav and Eric Gardner of Gnarls Barkley. Chuck Brody and Jon Siebels add their genius, and the result is post-hipster punk-noir post-pop for the new decade.

Hesta’s whole life has been leading up to this one musical moment, but the real trajectory started circa 2001, when Ms. Prynn, neé Julie Potash, got together with her friends at a party and came up with an idea. Let’s start a rap group, they said, us three white girls from the suburbs. They did, and Northern State was born. Record labels came knocking, Rick Rubin's name came up, and a big-time record deal led to quality time at strip clubs with DJ Muggs from Cypress Hill. By 2008, after a long, surreal trek through the music world, Northern State’s third album was out on Mike Patton’s Ipecac label and Hesta Prynn had finally learned what was really real.